Riverside teams battle Trumann

The Riverside boys and girls tennis teams hosted Trumann Tuesday afternoon at Lake City with the boys battling to a 4-4 tie while the Lady Rebels also split their match 2-2.

Riverside's Tyler Timms won at number one singles over Trumann's Blake Wright, 6-1. The Rebels then took the next three singles matches to build a 4-0 lead as Zac Reynolds downed Clay Jones with a thrilling 7-6 win at number two singles. Blake Barnes won the third match beating the Wildcats Dustin Jones, 6-4, while M.J. Emery won at number four singles over Merritt Davis, 6-3.

But Trumann would not quit as they rallied by taking the next two singles matches. Jacque Tyler downed Rebel Cody Richardson 6-4 at number five singles before Zach Dyer scratched out a 7-5 win over Rebel Cody Weathers.

Trumann earned a split in the match by sweeping the doubles action when Jones/Jones defeated Blake and Bryan McCormick, 6-1, in the first doubles match before Michael Wilcockson and Jacque Tyler outlasted the Rebel duo of Shawn Mathews and Cody Richardson, 7-5.

Riverside traveled to Arkansas State University Thursday afternoon to play Ridgefield Christian in conference action. The boys battled to a 4-4 tie while the girls dropped a 4-1 decision.

In boys singles, Riverside took two out of three matches as Tyler Timms defeated Aaron Ricca, 6-3, at number one singles, while Blake Barnes won at number three singles, 6-2, over Trenton Hoggard. Noland Gilmore of Ridgefield Christian salvaged their only single's victory with a 7-5 win over Rebel Zac Reynolds at number two singles.

In boys doubles action, the number one team of Timms and Barnes led Riverside to a hard fought 7-5 win over Ridgefield Christian's Daniel Morgan and Noland Gilmore. Ridgefield Christian battled back to take the number two doubles match 6-1 as Morgan and Daniel Fields defeated Blake McCormick and Zac Reynolds. Ridgefield Christian also won at number three doubles with a 6-2 win as Hoggard and Blake Emerson beat the Rebel duo of Shawn Mathews and Cody Weathers. The Rebel tandem of Timms and Mathews outlasted the Ridgefield Christian team of Noland Gilmore and Logan Gilmore, 7-6, while Ridgefield's Austin Green and Nathaniel Ricca beat the Rebel team of McCormick and Weathers, 6-3.

In doubles play, Ridgefield's Brittany Williams and Natalie Reeves beat the Rebel tandem of Boyd and Foster, 6-3. Boyd and Foster rebounded in the second doubles match as the Lady Rebels avoided the shutout with a 6-1 win over Mary Kate Kelly and Lindsey Morgan, 6-1.

Riverside returns to action Monday afternoon as they host Walnut Ridge in conference action. The Rebels will then travel to Paragould Tuesday afternoon to face the Rams in a non-conference match. Riverside will close out the week with another big conference match against Ridgefield Christian at Lake City.